4 superstars without whom IPL would never be the same

With multiple players being interchanged through the transaction windows, India's favourite domestic cricketing tournament has grabbed the headlines once again.

The next edition of the IPL, as always, only promises to return bigger and better. However, given the numerous events that have been transpiring over the past few months, some new debates have been making rounds among the fans.

While a few of them argue that a certain set of players must be rested from the IPL to manage the workload, others worry that retirement from international cricket might affect the form of their favourite players.

But given the very essence and ethos of the Indian Premier League, there remain a few cricketers who seem to overcome all the odds time and again to restate their supremacy in the sport. So, as the tournament continues its juggernaut, we take a look at 4 such superstars of the game without whom, the tournament would not be the same.

Honourable mentions:

MS Dhoni (CSK) and Suresh Raina (CSK)

#4 Chris Gayle

Mat: 112 Runs:3994 SR:150.71 6s: 292

It would be fair to call Chris Gayle as an IPL romantic

While most of the big-hitters throw caution to the winds when in full flow, Chris Gayle can often be spotted throwing caution to the crowds while functioning in his top gear. Recollect a few of his scorchers with the bat and you would reminisce the sheer brutality with which a cricket ball can be bludgeoned by a batsman.

With 292 maximums in 112 games, the man from Jamaica holds the record for the most number of sixes hit in the history of the IPL. Now as you digest the previous stat, here are a few more: Gayle accounts for the most number of sixes in an inning, highest individual score, and also the most number of centuries among others.

While this record-shatterer hasn't been peaking in the past few seasons, the cricketing carnival would surely miss one of its favourites if no franchise picks him in the coming season.

#3 Rohit Sharma

Mat: 173 Runs: 4493 SR: 131.03 6s: 184

Rohit Sharma has been one of IPL's superstars over the years

Right since the first season in 2008, Rohit Sharma has been one of the most consistent batsmen in the Indian Premier League. From providing rock-solid starts as an opener to propelling the team to memorable victories down the order, Sharma has done it all in the last eleven seasons.

In addition to his successful run with Deccan Chargers, Hitman, as he's popularly known, has had a fairytale story with Mumbai Indians. The prolific six-hitter holds the record for leading the Mumbai club to title glory three times in the tournament's history and usually occupies the centre stage among the frenzy at Wankhede stadium.

Currently going through a purple patch in international cricket, Rohit Sharma would come as a prime entertainer in the league and an IPL sans him would be dull, to say the least.

#2 Virat Kohli

Mat: 163 Runs: 4948 SR: 130.76 6s: 177

Virat Kohli is expected to win glory for RCB in 2019

Make way for Captain Supremo! Virat Kohli's name on the list shouldn't really surprise anyone given his incredible record in the tournament. One of the hottest selling names in the cricketing world currently, the bygone years have witnessed Kohli leave an indelible mark on IPL as well.

Toying with the bowlers for fun and scoring centuries at will, the Delhi dasher has emerged as Royal Challengers Bangalore's biggest asset. Be it the breathtaking ability to churn runs or the insanely animated celebration after clinching a close victory, signatures of Virat Kohli have played their fair bits in making IPL box office. And the impasse in RCB's tournament in 2017 during his initial absence explains this very fact.

So, as aforementioned, Virat Kohli is the biggest name in Indian cricket right now and the country's most popular cricketing tournament would be found wanting without him.

#1 AB de Villiers

Mat: 141 Runs: 3953 SR: 150.94 6s: 186

AB de Villiers has been a key component for RCB

The ferocious pulls, textbook drives, menacing cuts, and maverick scoops have all been getting one common address for the past 11 years of the IPL. Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is one of the most loved foreign players in India and also, arguably, the greatest entertainer in the history of this extravagant tournament. Thanks to the unbelievable prowess of this Superman from South Africa, most of the crowds get a bang for their buck.

And you would certainly be making a blunder if you'd credit the man just for his batting abilities. Nothing less than a prowling cheetah on the cricket field, de Villiers holds an account for some amazing fielding displays as well!

So an IPL edition without AB de Villiers would be hard to digest for any cricket fan, let alone the supporters of Royal Challengers Bangalore.